Moonlit Necklace & Flying Home Ring

Having made its premiere in the northern Italian city of Turin in 1896, La bohème is now the second most frequently performed opera in the United States—so says Wikipedia. Ordinarily, the near-winner might be a little miffed at the first place slot being granted to another, but Tuscan composer Giacomo Puccini loses to no one other than himself.

Green Arm Cuff with Wooden Marble Buttons / Flax Farm Hoop Earrings / Face Scrubbies

I have a proud family history of hand-me-downs, secondhand stores, and thrift. My mother once had a bumper sticker: “This car stops for yard sales.” I am familiar with “rummaging” as a sanctioned, communal activity for acquiring goods; have visited flea markets in several countries; filled paper sacks at $1 “bag sales”; and as a child, I often accompanied my realtor father to tag and estate sales. For years, I have longed to visit the Highway 127 Yard Sale.

Black Lip Mother of Pearl Round Earrings

Today is Black Friday, the mother of all shopping days in my country of origin where business profits turn from red to black and bank accounts from black to red. Someone in the mid-sixties must have had one hell of a sense of humor to time this day to fall directly after Thanksgiving. One day Americans join with their families in (mock) appreciation of their conquested homeland and the next they begin an altogether too similar conquest, only this time it's consumer goods they're after instead of arable land.

Quilted Gadget Bag & Small Pouch

For no apparent reason, I fell in love with elephants when I was a little girl and started an ad hoc collection. By the time I was an adult I had gathered a small army of elephant kitsch that included everything from crystal statues to jewelry to candles to clocks. My penchant for all things pachyderm made gift-giving occasions an effortless affair for all of my family and friends, but while they were appreciative of the low maintenance mental exertion, their lack of creativity had me a little bit miffed.

Japanese Floral and Forest Pendants

My first assignment for the Indian edition of Marie Claire was to write a book review of Kamila Shamsie’s novel Burnt Shadows. Having never written for a glossy mag before, I was quite excited about this opportunity—but nervous too. Bigger publications have a tendency to censor unflattering sentiments that might alienate potential advertisers, and when it comes to fiction, I’m not easy to please. If I failed to be impressed by Shamsie’s work, would I still get the gig?

Euoko’s Y-00 Instant Precision Cellular Masque / Leaf & Rusher’s Active Serum

Air pollution is one of the biggest environmental hazards in India. Caused largely by vehicles with aged diesel engines and industrial emissions, the same technology that is moving the country forward in the global economy is moving people backward in terms of individuals’ health. Half of the children in Bangalore are now afflicted with asthma, and Kolkata has the highest number of cases of lung cancer in the world.

Hyacinth Collection Crystal Moon Necklace

I was born March 23, 1980 at 1:30 a.m. in San Diego, California. This moment of happenstance means that I just made the cut for being the fire sign Aries, a bold astrological identification. This arbitrary timing is also the cause of my birthstone being Aquamarine, a barely-there blue resembling the clarity of the ocean in a place untouched by tourism like Lakshadweep.

Green Meadow Earrings

When cold weather settles over the Northern Hemisphere, it's all I can do to get out of bed in the morning. I live far enough north that the daylight time literally cuts in half—what was once a twelve-hour-day becomes six measly hours of cloud-covered sunshine. In addition to bundling in many layers, pulling the cat in for extra snuggles at night, and cranking up the heater, I try to keep my appearance fresh. I can all too easily spiral into a dark months depression.

2010 Wall Calendar: Anne Taintor

“She was one cocktail away from proving his mother right” is the text accompanying a modestly dressed, yet sexily posed, 1950s woman that adorns the cover of the 2010 Wall Calendar by Anne Taintor. Why is it that these satirical sentences bring a smile to our faces? Why does it give us such pleasure to poke fun at these Leave it to Beaver prototypes? Whatever the analysis, it works.

Sagebrush & Pinon Soy Candle

My reasons for reviewing the Sagebrush & Pinon candle from Soy Candles by Phebes were somewhat self-serving. I was intrigued by the name, and I wanted to try my hand at writing a product review. Ama encourages reviewers to do a little research before requesting items for review, but I happily assumed a candle that smelled like sage would be a welcome accoutrement to any abode.

BooBoo Unisex Wrist Bracelet, Woven

The story behind a company and its products really makes or breaks my decision to purchase. Yes, aesthetics are a key determining factor, but my criteria goes beyond this alone. I want to know the who, what, where, when, and how behind it so that my money supports my values.

Two Roads Necklace / Forever Necklace

Cloudberries—also known as 'bakeapples'—are a tiny fruit found in the Northern Hemisphere. Like jewelry designer Ioulia, who hails from Espoo in the Helsinki municipality of Finland, cloudberries thrive in colder climates and produce rich color. Influenced by their delicate vibrancy, Ioulia named her shop for the cinnamon-colored berries. In her beautiful handcrafted designs, it's easy to see the simple but elegant inspiration. I’m a sucker for pretty gift wrapping.

Replenishing Hand Cream (Rose Flower)

My paternal grandmother was the offspring of a French immigrant family that emigrated to the United States. She came of age during a time of great extravagance (Roaring Twenties) followed by a sharp decline (Great Depression) and then raised five children—three boys and two girls—by herself in St. Louis, Missouri while my grandfather reported for duty during World War II. In my grandparents' house there were two bathrooms, one pink and the other blue, a color-coded system marked by a form of gender segregation that had a utilitarian function in the large and evenly split household.

Chocolate Rain Soy Candle

To say I was ill prepared when I moved to Denmark for love is quite an understatement. I did not research the stereotypes; when people starting shoving past me on public transit, I was surprised. The prices still startle me. And while I have a working knowledge of geography, I was not prepared for the darkness that accompanies winters so close to the Arctic Circle. A South African co-worker recently asked how I survived last winter in Copenhagen.